Coal shipment increases at major ports

Kolkata: The linkages for coastal shipment of coal for Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and others have been increased, marginally though, for July-September quarter vis-à-vis April-June quarter.

Thus Paradip port has been given an allocation of 6.85 lakh tonnes per month in the coming quarter as compared to 5.95 lakh tonnes per month in the current quarter.

The corresponding figures for Haldia and Visakhapatnam ports are 2.25 lakh tonnes (two lakh tonnes) and 2.3 lakh tonnes (two lakh tonnes) respectively.

Given a choice, ports, the railways and the coal companies would perhaps have preferred higher allocations.

This is because the ports are geared to handle much larger volumes than what have been allocated. For example, Paradip has to its credit the record of handling more than 9 lakh tonnes in one particular month (April 2004).

In fact, its mechanised coal handling facility can handle up to 20 rakes a day.

Similarly, Haldia can handle more than four lakh tonnes easily.

The coal companies are keen to push more coal because together they are believed to be holding nearly two million tonnes of pithead stocks and are therefore in a hurry to reduce the stock, particularly when the monsoon has already set in.

While the Railways has in general no problems in making available more wagons, more so because the monsoon months are exciting months from traffic movement point of view.

However, there is shortage of a given type of wagon (BOBR type) used mainly for transporting coal from Talcher mines to Paradip port.

So much so that the East Coast Railway is believed to have urged the Paradip port to accept some quantities of thermal coal for coastal shipment in BoxN type wagons in lieu of the BOBR type.

However, Paradip port is not in a position to accede to such a request as its mechanized coal handling facility is suited for handling only BOBR type of wagons.

The power plants in southern India using coal transported by the coastal route are not in a position to take large quantities of coal for two reasons.

First, many of them have started importing coal. Second, some of them are having comfortable stock positions thanks to the cushion provided by the hydel generation as a sequel to good rainfall last year.